Summary

  • Fifth Test, day one, Sydney - England win toss and bat

  • Root and Brook both hit fifties in unbroken 154-run partnership before bad light and rain eventually lead to early close at 06:00 GMT, with England 211-3

  • Duckett, Crawley and Bethell fall in first 13 overs to leave tourists 57-3

  • Australia hold unassailable 3-1 series lead

  • Highlights available on iPlayer from 17:00 GMT

  • Day two will begin 30 minutes early at 23:00 GMT Sunday 4 January (10:00 local time, Monday 5 January)

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Live Reporting

by Elizabeth Botcherby & Timothy Abraham

  1. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    A beautiful stroke from Harry Brook. It just emphasises what kind of pitch this is to bat on.

  2. Lunch - Eng 114-3

    Root 31 (37), Brook 23 (31)

    There were an iffy six or seven overs around the hour-mark where England slumped from 35-0 to 57-3 but they've made it to lunch without further incident.

    Cameron Green's introduction to the attack released the pressure somewhat.

    His final over before lunch yields 13 runs, Joe Root cutting through gully for four and Harry Brook driving through the covers for a boundary of his own.

    Root has 31* (37). Brook, who followed up his boundary with a lazy waft of an uppercut to set hearts racing, has 23* (31).

  3. Eng 101-3

    Joe Root brings up England's 100 with an edged two past a sprawling Cameron Green at gully.

    We'll have one more over before lunch.

  4. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Joe Root of EnglandGetty Images

    The ball is not doing a whole lot so England just need to bat. You don’t need to play ultra-risk cricket against this Australia side on this pitch.

    There aren’t many jaffa balls out there.

  5. Get Involved

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    Mr Kay: Listening in Heerhugoward (pronounce that) in the Netherlands. It's late, and all feeling rather dreary and predictably relying on Joe Root again. Despite the disappointment of the series, I'd like to say thanks to all for the coverage.

    Dan: England's batting is rubbish. And this is against a much weakened Aussie attack let's not forget. But it looks like there will be no consequences, nothing learned and it'll be rinse and repeat in four years.

    Mark Poole: Why on earth did we bat first? We’ve historically been much better chasing last. We’ve looked absolutely awful when batting first. Looks a good toss to lose.

  6. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Cameron Green is releasing the pressure for Joe Root to get some runs. That is his favourite shot to play.

  7. Eng 96-3

    Joe Root cuts for four - that needs a keyboard shortcut.

    A wayward bouncer is called wide in between a couple of singles

    Root picks a gap through point and collects two to finish the over.

    A profitable over for England. Not a good over from Cameron Green.

  8. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Harry Brook of England batsGetty Images

    England are going to need a big total here. The cracks underneath the pitch will open up so they need to make the most of it.

    It looks like the kind of surface you want one of your players to get a century on.

  9. Get Involved

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    Joe Root mentoring Harry Brook through a tricky period could be the best thing to come from this series.

    Tom, Redditch

  10. Eng 87-3

    A single apiece for Harry Brook and Joe Root off the second and fifth balls, respectively.

    Alex Carey is sticking with his strategy of coming up to the stumps for Root.

  11. Eng 85-3

    Root 14, Brook 13

    James, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe I'll take the wickets with me and England's fortunes will change when the delightful Timothy Abraham takes over in 15-20 minutes.

    Joe Root cuts nicely for four.

    England are 85-3 after 20 overs.

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    Woke up and foolishly decided to check the scores. Elizabeth, please tell me it'll be OK when I wake up?

    James, Cumbria

  13. Eng 80-3

    Harry Brook adds a single to his tally.

    Joe Root drives through the covers for two, Marnus Labuschagne giving chase from mid-off.

    Scott Boland has 1-27 from seven overs.

  14. Eng 77-3

    Two dots, two singles, two dots.

  15. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

    Cameron Green has had a funny old series. It will be slightly disappointing from his point of view.

  16. Eng 75-3

    Harry Brook collects his first boundary of the day but it was not intentional. An uncontrolled pull results in a top-edge over the slips and loops away for four.

    He moves onto 10 (11), Joe Root has seven (15), and Cameron Green is coming into the attack.

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    Jacob Bethell doing exactly what he did for the Lions. Probably a good talent, but thrust into the spotlight far too soon.

    Peter, Durham

    Can somebody please explain to me why England leaders (Ben Stokes and Rob Key this time) always blame the bowlers for not executing in Ashes series? It’s always the batters that let us down, and once again the case in this series, but it’s always the bowlers that get the blame!

    Gus, London (a bowler)

    England seem determined to undermine the finances of the Aussies. We're playing the long game.

    Ben, SCG

  18. How's stat?!

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    Michael Neser's bowling map to Zak CrawleyCricViz

    Standing well out of his crease, Zak Crawley fell to the fullest delivery in the over from Michael Neser. Across this Ashes, Crawley has been dismissed on six occasions to deliveries in the good length region (6-8m) at an average of 15.0.

  19. Eng 67-3

    Glorious blue skies in Sydney, darkness outside of the window in Salford.

    A helmet is brought out as Alex Carey comes up to the stumps for the second half of the over.

    A Harry Brook single is the only scoring shot.

  20. Eng 66-3

    A bit of nip from Scott Boland! He gets one to come back into Harry Brook, who goes for a drive and nearly inside edges onto his stumps.

    Later in the over, Steve Smith opts against reviewing a potential lbw against Joe Root. Replays show it was high.

    Australia's tails are up. A huge 40 minutes for England before lunch.